Prepress

EskoArtwork announces new partnership to benefit Clemson University students and faculty, and industry participants

Thursday 23. October 2008 - The EskoArtwork Packaging Supply Chain Laboratory in Clemson University's Sonoco Institute will provide packaging design and production direction for research and classroom study

EskoArtwork today announces a new partnership with Clemson University’s Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design & Graphics. The EskoArtwork Packaging Supply Chain Laboratory will focus on combining the synergies of packaging design and graphic communications into the overall production and distribution manufacturing process.

Clemson’s Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics, a cooperative effort between the university’s departments of packaging science and graphic communications, is one of the most exciting programs under way at the public, research university. The Harris A. Smith Building, currently under construction on campus, will be the new home for the Sonoco Institute. Through the Institute, Clemson students prepare for successful careers in packaging, printing and allied fields. The Institute fosters interdisciplinary faculty collaboration to provide leadership and innovation in design and graphics for the global packaging industry. The Institute promotes consumer and environmentally superior packaging design and development, printing-imaging technologies and printing-packaging systems to enhance the reusability, traceability and sustainability of paperboard, film and corrugated paperboard packaging.

EskoArtwork has placed considerable importance on supporting printing and packaging educational institutions around the world, supporting more than thirty projects globally. The partnership between EskoArtwork and Clemson University will provide the resources to pursue the most rigorous research and development opportunities in this global marketplace. Specifically, the EskoArtwork Packaging Supply Chain Laboratory will work inside the Sonoco Institute to:

* provide the resources students need to become the skilled and creative work force of the 21st century.
* house the only research and development center of its kind in the nation.
* recruit, hire and maintain the top packaging design and graphics researchers in the world.
* promote and stimulate technologies that can make the highest impact on the future of global environmental responsibility.

Packaging design goes far beyond physical structure and associated graphics. It involves engineering the entire production chain based on understanding the purpose of the package from “cradle to cradle.” This may involve use of bioplastics and other advanced materials. It may include printed electronics that enable intelligent monitoring of product conditions. It could be objectively determining the consumer experience – using eye-tracking research – when buying or using a package.

There will be three specific areas within the EskoArtwork Packaging Supply Chain Lab. The first area is devoted to design workflow, where, with the benefit of collaboration with brand management, it will demonstrate the full integration of the design and production process, leading to digital output. This is served by Design Lifecycle Management software, such as Studio, DeskPack, and WebCenter. The second is a workflow production and digital converting area, where users can experiment with workflow software and tools from the Digital Flexo Suite. This includes the Esko BackStage workflow server, Plato step & repeat and the PackEdge pre-production editor along with output software such as PlatePrep. A third portion of the lab focuses on sample making and the means to produce cartons and POP materials.

Through its generous support of this initiative, EskoArtwork has ensured that Clemson University will have the necessary equipment, software and staffing to nurture and maintain a fully functioning lab uniquely suited to the challenges of the packaging industry. This investment will provide Clemson University students industry-specific training, giving them a clear advantage as they enter the packaging science workforce.

“Although very successful in academic circles, much of this research has been done in relative isolation, and in many cases, without practical application or development. The Sonoco Institute and the EskoArtwork Packaging Supply Chain Lab will serve to match the packaging market needs and future directions with the multi-disciplinary opportunities on campus by focusing people, resources and attention on issues that otherwise could not be addressed,” remarks Carsten Knudsen, EskoArtwork President and CEO.

“Packaging is a $200-billion-plus business in the United States, and Clemson has invested to excel in this business’ knowledge base,” said Chip Tonkin, director of the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics. “In a collaborative effort, Clemson will conduct a holistic approach to packaging sciences, combining many academic disciplines, to learn how to best create packaging -how to print, fill, seal, ship and recycle – responsibly. EskoArtwork’s partnership with Clemson will result in a state-of-the-art packaging workflow design computer lab with a complete complement of software and hardware tools.

“Beyond their generous contribution, EskoArtwork is a terrific partner. Because of their wide area of expertise within the packaging supply chain – in terms of product capabilities, consultative experience, and industry partnerships – EskoArtwork is uniquely qualified to provide the resources needed for such an undertaking. They have been pioneers in the effort to understand the complete packaging supply chain, from brand owner to consumer, and their business touches upon many facets of our own research. The EskoArtwork Packaging Supply Chain Lab is an example of a public-private partnership between a major research university and an industry leader that will benefit Clemson students, faculty research, and generate economic growth in the state, region, and global economy,” he said.